In 1976, the Indonesian government began to implement a new curriculum known as Curriculum 75. This was intended for all government primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools. This field study, which is written for non-Indonesian readers, examines the Social Science component of Curriculum 75 using elements of the Stake model of curriculum evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to show, within the Stake model, the intended antecedents, transactions and outcomes of the Social Science Curriculum; that is, the specifications of the curriculum documents and associated texts before implementation in the classroom. The principal argument of this evaluation is that the worth of the curriculum is discovered in the elements of control which are manifest in intentions. This evaluation selects three issues for closer examination and evaluation; economic development, political culture and the world view which are portrayed in the curriculum. This closer examination reveals that knowledge of economic development is emphasised more than knowledge of political culture. In turn, knowledge of the the world outside and beyond Indonesia which constitute the world view is the least important of the three issues, and particularly at the primary level receives very little attention whatsoever. The specific outcomes of the Social Science Curriculum show that the type of knowledge which is emphasised is cognitive understanding rather than the formation of attitudes and values. Pupils are expected to learn factual knowledge rather than develop personal and social values. The central theme or argument which this evaluation pursues is the notion of curriculum control. Curriculum 75 is the creation of an educational bureaucracy within a bureaucratic state. When understood within the context of the Jackson critique of contemporary Indonesia, curriculum is a bureaucratic function of the state. A principal element of that function is the exercising of control which, for the purpose of this field study, is revealed in a bureaucratic and a curriculum form. The curriculum form of control is the central notion in this evaluation. For the Social Science Curriculum to be successful in the Indonesian classroom, the Curriculum should specify contents and methods in such prescriptive detail that teachers are given a clear programme of what is expected of them. Teachers can only be successful when the Curriculum clearly communicates what teachers are required to do. Control in the sense of constraint is a vital element in that communication. The characteristics of curriculum control are described in terms of the Bernstein concepts of coding and framing. By tracing coding and framing techniques in the Social Science Curriculum in general and each of the three issues in particular, this study shows that the antecedents (as defined by Stake) are strongly controlled (through a Bernstein-type collection code). On the other hand, some curriculum control is lost in the transactions (as defined by Stake) because teaching and learning methods are not sufficiently framed. Future refinements in this Curriculum should concentrate on strengthening curriculum control through increasing the level of specification and prescription about learning methods.

Die vorliegende Arbeit versammelt zwei einleitende Kapitel und zehn Essays, die sich als kritisch-konstruktive Beiträge zu einem "erlebenden Verstehen" (Buck) von Physik lesen lassen. Die traditionelle Anlage von Schulphysik zielt auf eine systematische Darstellung naturwissenschaftlichen Wissens, das dann an ausgewählten Beispielen angewendet wird: Schulexperimente beweisen die Aussagen der Systematik (oder machen sie wenigstens plausibel), ausgewählte Phänomene werden erklärt. In einem solchen Rahmen besteht jedoch leicht die Gefahr, den Bezug zur Lebenswirklichkeit oder den Interessen der Schüler zu verlieren. Diese Problematik ist seit mindestens 90 Jahren bekannt, didaktische Antworten - untersuchendes Lernen, Kontextualisierung, Schülerexperimente etc. - adressieren allerdings eher Symptome als Ursachen. Naturwissenschaft wird dadurch spannend, dass sie ein spezifisch investigatives Weltverhältnis stiftet: man müsste gleichsam nicht Wissen, sondern "Fragen lernen" (und natürlich auch, wie Antworten gefunden werden...). Doch wie kann dergleichen auf dem Niveau von Schulphysik aussehen, was für einen theoretischen Rahmen kann es hier geben? In den gesammelten Arbeiten wird einigen dieser Spuren nachgegangen: Der Absage an das zu modellhafte Denken in der phänomenologischen Optik, der Abgrenzung formal-mathematischen Denkens gegen wirklichkeitsnähere Formen naturwissenschaftlicher Denkbewegungen und Evidenz, dem Potential alternativer Interpretationen von "Physikunterricht", der Frage nach dem "Verstehen" u.a. Dabei werden nicht nur Bezüge zum modernen bildungstheoretischen Paradigma der Kompetenz sichtbar, sondern es wird auch versucht, eine ganze Reihe konkrete (schul-)physikalische Beispiele dafür zu geben, was passiert, wenn nicht schon gewusste Antworten Thema werden, sondern Expeditionen, die sich der physischen Welt widmen: Die Schlüsselbegriffe des Fachs, die Methoden der Datenerhebung und Interpretation, die Such- und Denkbewegungen kommen dabei auf eine Weise zur Sprache, die sich nicht auf die Fachsystematik abstützen möchte, sondern diese motivieren, konturieren und verständlich machen will. / This book is a collection of two introductory chapters and ten essays that address questions concerning "experiential learning" in physics. Traditionally, physics education has been trying to convey a systematic picture of salient scientific knowledge, which would then be applied to selected experiments and phenomena. However, within such a framework, students' real life experiences and interests can hardly be related to. This problem is well known, but typical solutions within science education address merely the methods and conditions of learning, thereby treating symptoms and missing the underlying problem. For our discussion we have chosen a different point of departure: The fascination of science arises from its investigative nature, which allows us to relate to our world in novel ways. Accordingly, we should teach how to inquire nature, rather than giving canonical answers. What would be the practical consequences of such an approach, and what would the theoretical framework look like? These collected essays investigate a number of approaches toward this issue: phenomenological optics and its rejection of kinematic pictures, the distinction between mathematical reasoning and scientific evidence, the potential of non-conventional interpretations of science teaching, the meaning of "understanding" etc. This discussion merges into the current discourse about competence, while illustrating a kind of physics teaching that encourages "expeditions" into the realm of physics. Here, the key concepts, methods of investigation, and ways of reasoning are not simply based on the established edifice of physics, but rather serve to motivate, clarify, and elucidate its structures and practices.

Purpose of this study was to investigate environmental literacy of 6th grade students at a private school. In detail of study it is also investigated that how mothers&amp / #8217 / educational background on environmental literacy dimensions (knowledge, attitude, use and concern) and besides, relationship between environmental background characteristics and environmental literacy dimensions. The study was carried out during the fall semester of the 2007-2008 academic year. The sample of study was chosen from an accessible population and consisted of 681 sixth grades students from a private school in Ankara. Environmental Literacy Questionnaire (ELQ) is used to collect data. The relationship among environmental literacy dimensions i.e., knowledge, attitude, use and concern was investigated by Means of zero order correlation. Effect of mothers&amp / #8217 / educational level on the environmental literacy of the students is analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Finally, canonical correlation is used in order to analyze relationship among environmental background of students, that is self-assessment about their interest in environmental problems (perception of interest), their views on the importance of environmental problems (perception of importance), their self evaluation of their environmental knowledge (perception of knowledge), their involvement in outdoor activities (activities), their perception of their parents&amp / #8217 / interest in environmental problems (parents&amp / #8217 / interest) and their perception of their parents&amp / #8217 / involvement in environmental activities (parents&amp / #8217 / involvement) / and environmental literacy dimensions. Results showed that majority of students (64%) received with mean of 8.2 questions out of 11 questions. Results also revealed that they have positive attitude, aware of importance between human and environment. Moreover, students have concerns about environmental problems. Results of means of zero order correlations indicated that between knowledge - use and attitude &amp / #8211 / concern are correlated positively, significantly but small. Moreover attitude-use and use &amp / #8211 / concern are correlated strong and medium in that order. Effect of mothers&amp / #8217 / educational level on EL, which is analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), indicated that dimensions of EL do not differentiate significantly by education level of mothers. By canonical correlation, it is found that parents&amp / #8217 / involvement in environmental activities positively related to environmental attitude, use and concern which stand for increase in parents&amp / #8217 / environmental involvement, increase in attitude, use and concern.

Evolutionary theory in the scientific curricula of public education has been scrutinized by religious societies for the better part of a century around the globe. Although Darwin’s explanation of the mechanism of evolution—the process of natural selection—is widely accepted by scientists in the United States and other industrialized nations, the U.S. has lagged behind these other countries in accepting evolutionary theory in public school curricula. The debate of what to include in textbooks and classroom lessons is one of America’s most controversial issues. The creationist worldview of life’s origins has been incorporated into science curriculum as a direct challenge to natural selection and evolutionary theory, stretching the interpretation of the First Amendment and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution under the guise of academic freedom. The debate has reached the U.S. Supreme Court on more than one occasion. Each landmark case has resulted in the Court’s decision to keep public school science courses free of theistic explanations of the origins of life or creation of species, most specifically humankind. The battle has continued and gained momentum in recent years, even in light of the Court’s decisions. The idea of intelligent design (ID) is the latest attempt by creationists to explain the existence of life, and many state boards of education and school districts throughout the country are considering the adoption of new science curricula that include ID as an adequate alternative to evolutionary theory. In the recent federal case Kitzmiller v. The Dover Area School District Justice John E. Jones, III ruled that ID was not a science at all, and instead was a religious belief violating Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Intelligent design is considered by scientists to be pseudoscience posing as scientific principle. The scientific perspective is that unsubstantiated pseudoscientific principles create misconceptions and have a deleterious effect upon science education. It is argued herein that educational leaders must play a role in preventing cases of pseudoscience arising in public school curriculum, thus strengthening the ability of our country to produce knowledgeable scientists.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Education)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1976. / Title from title page screen, viewed Dec. 2, 2004. Dissertation Committee: Elwood Egelston (chair), Ronald Laymon, Thomas Fitch, Ronald Halinski, Louise Dieterle. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-78) and abstract. Also available in print.

Master of Science / Department of Computer Science / Daniel A. Andresen / This thesis presents a curriculum designed for 5th and 6th grade students attending a summer camp for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The curriculum uses several concepts from educational theory and computer science education research. It also uses techniques such as cognitive apprenticeship, expansive framing, and scaffolded lessons to increase student learning outcomes. It was taught during two cohorts of a STEM summer camp. The curriculum is analyzed through self-efficacy surveys both before and after the class, measuring how students judged their own capability to use skills learned during the class. Analysis of the data shows that the increase in student self-efficacy has a medium to large effect size overall, as well as student self-efficacy with many computational thinking skills. Data from various population groups based on gender, previous STEM experience, and socio-economic status indicators is also analyzed. Finally, many areas of future work and improvement are presented and discussed. The outcome of this work is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the curriculum presented in increasing student self-efficacy with computational thinking skills, specifically by showing the links between content in the curriculum and specific computational thinking skills.

Proofs by induction are central to many computer science areas such as data structures, theory of computation, programming languages, program efficiency-time complexity, and program correctness. Proofs by induction can also improve students’ understanding of and performance with computer science concepts such as programming languages, algorithm design, and recursion, as well as serve as a medium for teaching them. Even though students are exposed to proofs by induction in many courses of their curricula, they still have difficulties understanding and performing them. This impacts the whole course of their studies, since proofs by induction are omnipresent in computer science. Specifically, students do not gain conceptual understanding of induction early in the curriculum and as a result, they have difficulties applying it to more advanced areas later on in their studies. The goal of my dissertation is twofold: 1. identifying sources of computer science students’ difficulties with proofs by induction, and 2. developing a new approach to teaching proofs by induction by way of an interactive and multimodal electronic book (e-book). For the first goal, I undertook a study to identify possible sources of computer science students’ difficulties with proofs by induction. Its results suggest that there is a close correlation between students’ understanding of inductive definitions and their understanding and performance of proofs by induction. For designing and developing my e-book, I took into consideration the results of my study, as well as the drawbacks of the current methodologies of teaching proofs by induction for computer science. I designed my e-book to be used as a standalone and complete educational environment. I also conducted a study on the effectiveness of my e-book in the classroom. The results of my study suggest that, unlike the current methodologies of teaching proofs by induction for computer science, my e-book helped students overcome many of their difficulties and gain conceptual understanding of proofs induction.

Refactoring is the process of transforming the internal structure of existing code while keeping the integrity of the code's functional requirements. Refactoring is proven to increase program maintainability, flexibility, and understandability and is recognized as a best practice in the software development community. However, with the exception of courses or lectures on extreme programming, refactoring is overlooked in the computer science curriculum. This paper helps demystify refactoring by introducing an incremental approach for teaching refactoring on the college level. Through this hands-on approach, refactoring can become an integral component in the computer science curriculum and an innovative means of reinforcing software engineering principles and good development practices. The approach and three introductory lessons are presented in this paper.

Refactoring is the process of transforming the internal structure of existing code while keeping the integrity of the code's functional requirements. Refactoring is proven to increase program maintainability, flexibility, and understandability and is recognized as a best practice in the software development community. However, with the exception of courses or lectures on extreme programming, refactoring is overlooked in the computer science curriculum. This paper presents the fourth lesson of an innovative pedagogical approach to teaching refactoring on the college level. This lesson covers the creation of well formed object-oriented methods including characteristics for evaluating such methods. Through this hands-on approach, building well formed object-oriented methods through refactoring can be better understood and integrated into the computer science curriculum.